Creative Conundrums – Hooray!
As a kid , I always loved a creative challenge. When bored, I would ask my Mom to make-up quizzes for me. My sister and I often made mysteries for each other, creating a scavenger hunt of clues. I would draw a squiggle on a blank page and then happily turn it into a drawing, delighting in the possibilities that a single line could offer. Oh boy, such fun.
As a grown-up, one of my favorite creative puzzles became songwriting. An idea would land on me from who knows where and then I would have to flush it out. To do this I would need the prefect trifecta of melody, chord changes and lyrics to properly to serve the initial inspiration. This was maddening, but also completely enjoyable. The reward of a finished song was worth every struggle, and tantrum. I would lose myself in the process only to find myself in the end.
Choreographing a song for dance class is a similar process. The music suggests a movement or two but I still have to crack the code. Sometimes I sit on the floor, close my eyes and envision movement. This can work! But I can’t count on it. So I have to get on my feet and dance around. There is trial and error, makeshift solutions I know are not quite right and then, if the stars align, a finished piece emerges.
These creative challenges really light me up inside. It is the fuel of my expression and, in case you haven’t noticed by now, self-expression (mine and yours!) is rather important to me. So it is no wonder that I began to offer creative journaling workshops! The insight that a creative exercise can offer is quite valuable. It helps you tap into a place within yourself, a true and real place that may have been hidden.
Having a general framework from which to start is key. If I were to tell you to write a paragraph about any topic you might get bogged down in too many possibilities OR you might write about an obvious topic rather than exploring something new.
If I were to tell you to write a paragraph that must mention green jelly beans, well then you have a creative riddle! I promise you, you would solve it and your solution would be wildly, wonderfully unique. (Give it a try!)
Sound intriguing? Well, good news! I am offering my next workshop for FREE and it starts on Monday Oct 21st. Scavenger Hunt is a 5 day creative journaling workshop with a delightful twist. Only 5 days. You can do it for sure.
You can read about it here and sign-up for it right here. Join us, it will be great fun!
